


We Must Believe as Lovers Do

by thebiggestyamfan



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast, Dragon Beast!Zuko, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gratuitous Use of Spirit Nonsense, Humor, I’ll add more tags as I go, M/M, Mutual Pining, im so sorry if you are a fan of jet but somebody had to take the fall and be gaston
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26480467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebiggestyamfan/pseuds/thebiggestyamfan
Summary: Once upon a time, in a lovely little kingdom, there lived a greedy, vicious king and his family. His kingdom was known for its extravagant parties, fine jewels, and even finer people. However, while the court danced and made merry, the townspeople went hungry in the streets, their pockets stripped of gold for the King’s lavish gatherings. Nobody dared speak against him, lest they be killed, or worse, cursed. But this story is not about him or his wrongdoings, at least, not yet. No, this story is about a young man with a bright mind, and how he changed the heart of a scarred prince who felt like he had nowhere else to turn. It starts, like all good stories do, with a girl.orIt’s a Beauty and the Beast AU babey!!
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 68
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> huge shoutout to delfi, aka @jeigers on here!! this wouldn’t be here without her enthusiasm and encouragement. she’s also writing her own version of the same au! 
> 
> i’ve never written a multi-chapter fic before, so bear with me :)
> 
> (title from days in the sun from beauty and the beast)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! just wanted to let y’all know that i did change the tense from present tense to past tense (so there’s no confusion if you’re rereading) and that all future chapters will be in past tense as well!!

Once upon a time, in a lovely little kingdom, there lived a greedy, vicious king and his family. His kingdom was known for its extravagant parties, fine jewels, and even finer people. However, while the court danced and made merry, the townspeople went hungry in the streets, their pockets stripped of gold for the King’s lavish gatherings. Nobody dared speak against him, lest they be killed, or worse,  _ cursed _ . But this story is not about him or his wrongdoings, at least, not yet. No, this story is about a young man with a bright mind, and how he changed the heart of a scarred prince who felt like he had nowhere else to turn. It starts, like all good stories do, with a girl.

_______

“I don’t know Katara, it sounds kind of dangerous. Nobody’s been to the ruins in years.”

“That’s exactly it Sokka, nobody has been there in  _ forever.  _ The worst that could happen is that I don’t find anything and I come back empty-handed. Best case scenario though? I find a bunch of ancient water bending scrolls and actually get to learn about how to bend. As it is, I can barely move enough for a glass of water.” As if to prove her point, she attempted a series of movements, leading to Sokka getting sprayed. He sighed, grabbing a towel to dry off.

“I trust you Katara, you know I do, it’s just- You’re all I have left. Having to move here after Mom and Dad…” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, look at me. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not leaving until tomorrow, so we’ll have plenty of time to prepare.” Sokka sighed again.

“I guess.” All of a sudden Katara grinned.

“Besides, I’m like, way faster than you, so if I get into any trouble and run back here, they’ll get you first.” Sokka looked offended.

“You’re not faster than me!” 

“Wanna bet? Race you to the market.” Katara shoved him before taking off. Sokka gaped for a second, then started running after her.

“Hey, no fair, you got a headstart!”

She called back to him, “Sucks to suck, slowpoke. Eat my dust!” He raced after her, his cheeks aching from smiling so much, but the worry still gnawed at him.

_______

The market was a flurry of activity, people bustling about, selling wares and arguing. As Sokka glanced around, he heard whispers follow them.

_ “How strange.” _

_ “Their parents died, poor dears.” _

_ “I heard an explosion coming from their house last week...” _

_ “It’s that boy, he makes such odd things.” _

Suddenly, he felt someone punch him in the shoulder. 

“Hey Snoozles.” He turned.

“Toph! Hey, I had a great idea for a new invention. Doing laundry is the pits, right? Consider this, attach the laundry barrel to a buffalo-yak, and voila! Hands free.” He raised his eyebrows, waiting expectantly. 

“Can’t you invent another exploding thing? Laundry is boring.”

“One, that wasn’t even supposed to explode. Two, thats the whole point. Laundry  _ is _ boring, and now it won’t be my problem!” As he finished talking, he finally caught up to Katara.

“Katara, help me explain to Toph th-” Sokka stopped short when he saw who was talking to her.

Jet. Everyone in town loved him, and he loved Katara. Ever since he’d laid eyes on her when they first arrived, he’d been angling to get her to like him. His main problem? She super wasn’t interested.

“Waterbending? That’s funny. Can’t you just learn how to heal like all the other women?” 

Katara rolled her eyes. “No, the whole point is that I want to learn how to fight.”

Jet reached out to put a hand on her arm. “Baby, with me, you’ll never need to fight a day in your life.” He grinned in a way that says  _ pretty sure I nailed that one _ . Katara wretched her arm away.

“Spirits, ew, leave me alone.”

“I’m just saying, if you were my girl, you wouldn’t have to lift a finger!” Suddenly, a rock flew up and hit him square in the groin.

“Hey Jerkface! She said no. Leave her alone or there’s more where that came from!” Toph flung a few more pebbles menacingly. As Jet scampered off, more whispers could be heard.

_ “Poor Jet, look what they did to him!” _

_ “They’re trouble, I’m telling you.” _

_ “What, does she think she’s too good for him?” _

_ “I’d kill to be in that position!” _

Sokka tried to ignore them, rushing over to Katara. “Woah, hey, are you alright?”

She glared after Jet. “I’m fine, no thanks to him. Spirits, who does he think he is?”

As they picked up items in the market, Katara continued to rant. 

“-and he’s not even that strong! I could take him in a fight any day. Ugh, can you imagine me as ‘his girl’. The nerve! And everyone defending him! Tui and La, I want to get out of this stupid town. I want to- to go on adventures, see the world!” 

By the time they said their goodbyes to Toph and made it back home, Katara had thoroughly exhausted her Jet complaint abilities and the sun had almost entirely gone down, streaking the sky with fiery reds and golds. 

Later into the night, the two siblings lay awake in their respective beds. Sokka stared at the moon through a window, unable to fall asleep.

“Katara?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful tomorrow, okay?”

Katara turned in her bed to face him. “I will be.”

He yawned. “‘Night, then

“‘Goodnight.”

Sokka faded into sleep, the stars slowly dimming before twinkling out completely.

_______

A noise. The sound of a gate shutting? Sokka bolted upright.

“Katara? That you? What are doing?” He stifled a yawn as he got out of bed. He glanced over, only to see her bed empty. Sitting on top of it was a note that read:

_ Sokka, _

_ Sorry, couldn’t wait. I know you told me to go in the daytime because it’s safer, but you and I both know it’s better to use the cover of night. Don’t worry about me. Love you, and don’t forget to feed the otter-penguins in the morning. _

_ -Katara (who can take care of herself just fine, thank you) _

Sokka clutched the note tightly and begged the spirits to bring his sister home safely.

_______

Somewhere, deep in the woods, a girl followed a map to a decrepit castle, long abandoned. As far as anyone knew, that was.


	2. Chapter 2

Katara glared at the map. The old woman she’d bought it from had said it would lead her straight to the castle, but so far, she’d had no such luck. The trees seemed to twist and gnarl in the oddest ways, and she swore that she’d passed that rock before. A wolf howled somewhere in the distance and Katara shivered. The wind whipped around her, cutting straight to the bone even through her thick cloak, and she pulled the furs closer around herself. 

As she pushed on, suddenly she felt something wet hit her nose. A drop fell, then another, and another. She looked down to see drops hitting the map and quickly tried to roll it up. In her haste, she didn’t notice the tree branch below her feet until it was too late. Katara went flying and so did the map.

_ Dammit.  _ She tried to get up, but the ground was slick with rain. By the time she reached the map, it’s was a soggy, ink-covered mess. 

_ If I could waterbend, this wouldn’t be a problem,  _ she thought bitterly.  _ Great. I’m lost in the woods with no map. Sokka is gonna hold this over my head for the rest of my life. Ugh.  _

Katara was just about to turn around and try to find her way back when-  _ Is that?  _ She gasped.  _ The ruins! _

The intricate gate swung open easily when she pushed it. Vines overtook most of the tall iron fence surrounding the property. Katara squinted at one of the wings of the castle.  _ Looks to be… burned? Weird. What happened here, anyway?  _ The stone path she walked on lead to the main door, huge and ornate, adorned with what looked to be an image of a dragon, dotted with tiny lotus flowers and wreathed in flames. She went to knock but stopped short.  _ Why am I knocking? No one lives here.  _

Katara took a deep breath, then pushed open the door. It was heavy and she nearly fell, but she managed to catch herself on the door handles. Her stumble echoed loudly in the large main hall and she cursed.  _ Great job Katara. Really stealthy. _

Walking the halls, Katara couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Something about the castle was… weird. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was definitely something off. She put it out of her mind, chalking it up to nerves.  _ Ok. Find the library, get the scrolls, leave.  _

She stalked silently through the hallways, her shadow flickering on the walls.  _ Wait, flickering?  _ There, up on the wall, lit candelabras illuminated the way.  _ Wait, but if there’s fire…  _ Her blood ran cold.  _ That must mean there are people.  _ Cautiously, she called out, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw something white move. She quickly turned, fumbling in her bag for a weapon. “You should know I have a knife that I’m not afraid to use!” Her hand finally found the knife and she whipped it out, pointing it menacingly. She heard voices come from behind her, obviously trying to whisper, and failing.

“Mai, look! She has a knife too. You guys could be friends!”

“Shh, keep it down, she’s not supposed to see us.”

Katara turned and glared at the… nothing. “I can hear you, you know. Show yourself, now!”

There was a sigh and then, “Great job Ty Lee, now she knows we’re here.”

Suddenly, where there was only air, a girl, looking to be around Katara’s age, materialized. Her hair was pulled back into a long braid and she smiled amiably. The most striking detail, though? The fact that she was completely white and slightly transparent. The girl waved and Katara screamed.

“Hi!”

Katara backed up quickly and hit a table, knocking off a small vase, which shattered.

“Y-you’re a ghost!”

The girl laughed. “No silly, I’m not a ghost! You have to be dead to be a ghost, and we’re certainly not dead. We’re spirits.”

“We?”

“Yes, although _someone_ doesn’t feel like showing herself right now.” The gh- spirit gave a look to what appeared to be empty air.

Katara’s heart pounded. “Yeah, this is too much for me. Have fun doing… spirit things or whatever. Bye.” She took off down the hall. 

Door after door seems to pass, some open, some closed, when Katara’s eye snagged on books inside one of them.  _ The scrolls!  _

Glancing back, she decided it’s worth it, and quickly darted inside the library. Her eyes scanned the shelves of scrolls interspersed throughout rows and rows of books. Finally, she spotted some.  _ Score!  _ Katara filled her arms with as many as she could carry, and was just about to leave when she heard another voice, this time coming from high up in the room. 

“I would put those back if I were you. They’re not yours.” 

She clutched them defensively. “I need them more than you do! They’re just sitting here collecting dust.”

“This is your final warning. Put them  _ back _ .”

“No!”

“Fine.” Suddenly, some  _ thing  _ flew down from its perch. The creature lunged at her and she tried to dodge, but it was faster. 

The last thing Katara saw before it knocked her out was a set of beautiful golden eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!! gonna try to post every few days? im not really sure how long this is gonna be
> 
> btw here’s what i think katara’s dress looks like!! it’s supposed to be a mix of the atla and batb styles
> 
> https://gaybarbie.tumblr.com/post/629381168789356544/felt-like-designing-a-possible-version-of-kataras


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don’t think it’s ever going to come up, so age wise, i think it’s like
> 
> toph-15  
> aang-15  
> katara-16  
> azula-17  
> ty lee-18  
> sokka-18  
> mai-19  
> zuko-19
> 
> :D

Katara hadn’t been back. It was a bit past noon when Sokka decided it had been too long. 

_ Of course she took the only winter cloak.  _ He rifled through the rest of their meager wardrobe and came up empty.  _ Great. Being cold it is, then.  _ He didn’t pack too much, some food, water, healing supplies in case Katara was-  _ no. She’s ok, probably just lost.  _ Sokka tried to make himself believe that as he finished.

He locked up the house, tossed some feed to the otter-penguins, and set off in search of Toph. 

_______

The Beifongs were known throughout the village for their wealth and affluence. They gave off an air of elegance at all times. Their daughter? Not so much.

Hiding behind a bush just outside of their estate, Sokka signaled to Toph using the system they had invented. After a complicated series of stomps and a few minutes, Toph covertly snuck out her window. She dropped to the ground, quickly running over to where Sokka was hidden. 

“What is it? I have a lesson right now, but they think I’m in the bathroom, so make it quick.”

He hastily filled her in on Katara’s little midnight journey. “It’s been way longer than it should have been and she hasn’t been back, so I need to go find her.”

Toph glared at him. “You better come back safe, or I’ll kill you both myself.”

He grinned. “Aww, Toph, you  _ do _ care.”

She lightly flicked a pebble at his head and he yelped. “I  _ don’t _ care, I just need someone to make cool stuff for me, that’s all.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “I’ll miss you too. If we’re not back by tomorrow, I’ve probably been eaten by wolves. Bye!” He started off towards the woods as Toph snuck herself back into the house.  _ It’s just a bunch of trees _ , he thought hopefully,  _ how hard could it be to find her? _

_______

Apparently, it was very hard. Even with all the tracking skills he had learned, Sokka struggled to find his way to the castle. By the time he had gathered supplies and talked to Toph, the sun had begun to set. 

The woods seemed to close in around him, and he shivered in the freezing air. The ramifications of not having a cloak were starting to dawn on him. It didn’t help that the ground was riddled with roots and puddles, one obstacle after another. Sokka tried to avoid them if he could, but it was only a matter of time before he misstepped, landing in a huge pool of mud. 

Now not only freezing but also filthy, Sokka was beginning to lose hope. As it grew darker and darker, the woods seemed to become more treacherous and he began to reconsider if he would ever find his sister. 

Then, up ahead, an opening in the trees. The moonlight filtered through them, illuminating something on the ground. Sokka got closer, cautiously peering at it, before recognizing the piece of paper.  _ If Katara’s map is here, she must be nearby!  _ As relief washed over him, Sokka noticed something else too.  _ Footprints! Hopefully, these will lead me right to her. _

Using the light of the moon and the footprints in the mud, he picked his way across the woods, more careful now that he had a guide. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he stood before the huge iron gates. 

He hesitantly gave them a push, surprised when they opened easily. The castle had beautiful architecture, though half of it didn’t look very structurally sound, from being… scorched? Cautiously, he approached the front doors. 

Opening them as silently as possible, Sokka glanced around the castle. The muddy footprints he had been following continued down the main hall and into a smaller side hallway that broke off from it. From the look of the prints, Katara had been walking through here, so she probably hadn’t been chased. That took a little bit of the weight off of Sokka’s back, though the worry still sat in his stomach like a stone. 

A draft passed through the castle and he shivered. Behind him, someone spoke in a hushed voice, obviously trying not to be heard. “Look at his aura, its all blue! Do you think he could break the-”

Another voice quickly shushed the first one, “Shh, you did this last time, and look what happened.” 

Sokka glanced around quickly, his hand going to his boomerang. “Hello?” He took a few steps in the direction of the voices, but there was only silence.

Suddenly, a boy’s voice whispered from a different direction. “Do you think he knows her? The girl in the dungeons?” There was another shush, louder this time.

Sokka whipped around. “Who’s there? I’m just here to find my sister, I don’t mean to intrude.” Again, silence. Frustrated, he decided that if no one was going to answer him, he was going to have to find Katara himself. “Katara!” he yelled, straining to listen afterward. He waited, and finally he heard it, so soft you could miss it if you weren’t listening. His sister yelling back his name.

He took off in the direction it was coming from, calling for her again and again. Finally, after the tensest moments of his entire life, he rounded the corner and saw her.

The bars of the cell were cold as he pressed against them, reaching out to her. “Katara, what happened? You said you it would only take a few hours, I almost died trying to find you! Well, not really, it was fine, but-” 

  
She cut him off, shaking her head. “Sokka, you need to go,  _ now _ .”

“What? No, I just found you. We’re gonna get you out of here and leave.”

She shook her head more frantically this time, “I can take care of myself, you have to leave before-”. There was a thump behind him, and Katara looked on in horror. Sokka turned to see a hooded figure towering behind him. Shrouded in the shadows, all Sokka could make out were a pair of thick horns curling out of the figures head.

Sokka shielded Katara and pulls out his boomerang. “Get back! I know how to use this thing! You should be careful, you don’t know who you’re messing with.”

In a rough voice, the figure replied, “I think  _ you _ need to be careful, that girl is my prisoner and you’re not supposed to be here. Leave, or you’ll suffer the same fate.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “I’m not scared of you, and by the way, that  _ girl  _ is my sister, so there’s no way I’m leaving without her. Let us go and I won’t have to hurt you.”

The figure scoffed. “So you just want me to let this thief go? She was trying to steal waterbending scrolls from my library!”

Sokka glared. “Look, I just got here, so I don’t know exactly what happened, but maybe if you weren’t  _ hoarding _ them all here, she wouldn’t have had to steal them. C’mon Katara.” He started fiddling with the lock.

Taking a step forward, the figure spoke again, harshly, “I’m not hoarding them! Also, she  _ has to _ be my prisoner forever because that’s the penalty for stealing.” 

Sokka sighed, glancing at Katara before squaring his shoulders. “Fine, you want a prisoner? Take me instead.”

Katara reached through the bars to grab him. “Are you crazy? I can’t let you take my place!”

The figure interjected. “A switch? I could make do with that.”

Katara pulled on his shoulder again, this time forcing him to face her. “Sokka, no, just- leave and come back some other time with Toph, try to get me out of here, just not right now. I won’t let you take my place.”

Sokka looked into her pleading eyes, then back at the figure. “Fine, I’ll go, but can I at least say goodbye?” The figure growled and Sokka glared again. “Forever can wait a moment.”

They stared eachother down before the figure gave in. “Fine, but when I close that door, know that it wont open again, so make it quick.” Sokka watched in slight horror as the figure reached out with clawed hands to unlock the cell. As soon as he did, Sokka rushed forward to crush Katara in a hug.

“I’ll miss you.”

Katara embraced him tightly. “I’ll miss you too. Say hi to Toph for me, and tell her not to go through my stuff.” 

When they had turned enough that Katara’s back was to the door, Sokka gave her one last squeeze. “No promises. Oh, also, I’m sorry.”

Before she could ask what he meant, he had shoved her out of the cell door and slammed it shut. Frantically she began to yank on the bars.

“No, no, spirits, I told you not to take my spot!”

The figure began to move closer. “Time’s up. You need to leave.”

“Mom and Dad told me to protect you, so that’s what I’m doing,” Sokka smiled sadly, “Also, I told you you’re not faster than me. Now go!”

He could see her looking back at the figure moving closer and making the decision to leave. “I’ll come back for you! I’ll figure something out with Toph, we’ll get you out of here.” She moved further and further away, her voice fading as she went.

He waved at Katara until he couldn’t see her anymore. The figure was still there, looking at him curiously.

“What?”

“I don’t understand, you just gave up your whole life so she could be free.”

Sokka looked at him incredulously. “Of course I did. She’s my sister.”

The figure still looked mystified before stalking away.

_ Forever, huh. Tui and La, that’s a long time.  _ Shivering and still covered in mud, Sokka slid to the ground.  _ Well, guess I better get comfortable. _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to see what sokka and zuko look like in this au, @delfisdoodles (aka @jeigers on here) did wonderful designs for them!!
> 
> https://delfisdoodles.tumblr.com/post/629284555892850688/beauty-and-the-beast-hello-i-havent-been-able-to


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was so fun to write, the boys finally get to officially meet!!

The cold he could handle. The mud caked on his clothes, slowly flaking off, no problem. But the _ boredom.  _ The boredom of being locked in a cell with nothing to do was going to kill Sokka.

He had already thrown his boomerang aroundl more times than he could count (only whacking himself in the face twice), counted the stars he could see through a window in the ceiling (thirteen of them), and played tic tac toe alone (somehow, he lost all eleven games). He had even attempted to escape, but no such luck. The cell didn’t seem to have a lock, and yet the door wouldn’t budge.

He was in the middle of arranging his bag to be a makeshift pillow when he heard a voice. More specifically, one of the voices he had heard when he first arrived. “You must be freezing in there! I mean, I can’t feel anything, but it certainly  _ looks _ drafty.” The voice got closer and Sokka craned his neck from his position on the ground to try and get a better look.

Just as he stood up, a girl cartwheeled  _ through the wall _ . Sokka’s jaw dropped. The girl stuck her hand out. “Hi, I’m Ty Lee!” Looking at her, he began to laugh. She looked confused. “Is something funny?”

Wiping a tear from his eye, Sokka responded, “Oh, it’s nothing, just that I seem to be having hallucinations now. Is this a dream? Did Toph slip me some cactus juice or something? A prank, maybe? The whole ghost thing is new.” 

The girl frowned. “Why does everyone always assume we’re ghosts? Just once, I’d like someone to say ‘Oh look, spirits!’, but no, its always ghosts. Anyway, this  _ is _ real, just so you know.”

Sokka slowly stopped laughing. “Yeah, right. Prove it. Pinch me or something.”

She lit up. “I’ll do you one better. If we weren’t real, could I do this?” Leaping forward, she quickly hit a few points around Sokka’s neck and he collapsed on the ground. Her hands were  _ freezing _ . “Oops. Maybe that was too much.”

_ Ok, so I’m definitely not dreaming. This is fine, it’s just a spirit who I’m locked in this weird castle with. Stay calm. _

Sokka decidedly did  _ not _ stay calm. As soon as he regained control of his limbs, he got up and began to pace around the cell, ranting as he went. “-and the fact that spirits exist at all is absolutely crazy because then you could argue that there must be a spirit world and maybe even magic, but that’s impossible because magic isn’t real and neither is the spirit world and all of this is bonkers and-”.

A little ways away, Ty Lee whispered to someone, though it looked like empty air,  _ but who knows what’s true anymore because spirits are real, apparently. _

She shot a worried glance at him, then finally interjected. “Hey! Hi.” He stopped pacing and looked up at her. “I can see that you’re shivering still, and that stone floor doesn’t look very comfortable, so how about you come with me and get that all taken care of.”

Sokka opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. “Wait, didn’t Mr. Jerkbender back there say that I was supposed to be stuck here forever?”

“Oh, Zuko didn’t mean stuck in the cell forever. That’s no way to treat a guest.”

“I thought I was a prisoner?”

“Prisoner, guest, same thing, who cares? Now c’mon, you need to come see your room!” With a flourish, she passed through the bars, then turned and opened the door as if it had never been locked at all.

Sokka stared at the open door, then at her, then back at the door. “How-”

“Oh, the castle is magic.”

Dazedly, he picked up his things and followed after her. “Of course, that makes perfect sense. The castle is magic.”

_______

They arrived at the room and Ty Lee pushed open the door. “It’s not much, but it should be pretty comfortable! The bathroom is right through that door, and there are some spare clothes in the wardobe over there.”

Sokka stared, speechless. “Comfortable” didn’t even begin to cover the massive room before him. In the center of the room was a four poster bed, covered in the most throw pillows he had ever seen in one place. Scarves decorated the walls, and matching furniture was scattered throughout the room. 

There was only one problem. “Does it have to be so  _ red _ ? I think my eyes are going to start bleeding.”

Ty Lee clapped excitedly. “One of the perks of living in a magic castle is that it’s extremely customizable. All you have to do is ask.”

Hesitantly, Sokka said, “Can I have it blue?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the red began to change to blue. Sokka looked on in awe. “Yeah, I’m never going to get used to that. Not that I’ll be here long, though. Mark my words, I’ll find a way to leave.”

Laughing, she responded, “Yeah, good luck with that. I believe in you!” She waved, then walked through the wall and left.

_______

Sokka felt a lot better after taking a bath, even if he had gotten the super fancy soap in his eyes. The clothing in the wardrobe somehow fit him perfectly and even came in the shades of blue he liked.  _ Whenever I make a break for it, I need to remember to take some of these with me, holy shit. _

He was putting his hair up when there was a knock at his door. “Who is it?”

Ty Lee’s head poked through the door, a hand over her eyes. “It’s me! Are you ready?”

“I’m dressed if that’s what you’re asking.” She flipped over to walk on her hands towards him. He paused. “Hold on, ready for what?”

She jumped up from her handstand. “To formally meet Zuko, of course. It’s only polite to greet your guests!”

He scoffed. “Yeah right. No way I’m going to see  _ him _ on purpose. He tried to imprison my sister forever, remember?” 

Ty Lee looked at her nails. Innocently, she said, “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to change your room back to red. And, since the castle likes me better, it’ll be  _ stuck that way _ .”

Sokka frantically shook his head. “No, no, that’s not necessary.” He sighed. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

Ty Lee grinned. “It worked! Azula has been teaching me how to blackmail people. She’s gonna be so proud!”

“Azula?”

“You’ll meet her later. Now c’mon!” She took his hand and began to pull him down the hallway.

_______

After walking for a minute, the arrived in front of a set of large, heavy doors, with a plaque reading  _ The Eastern Library _ . Ty Lee called out as she pushed them open. “Zuko!”

“Ty Lee, good, I wanted to ask you-” He walked out from behind a bookshelf, stopping short when he saw Sokka. “Oh.” While before, he had been wearing a cloak and shrouded in shadows, now the hood was off and the lights brightly illuminated his beastly form. Long, yellow horns protruded from his head, and large, pinkish-red wings came from his back. A thick tail was visible as well. Most striking were his eyes, golden yellow and shaped like a cat’s, and the red scales that overtook half his face.

Sokka took a step back. Horrified, he said, “You’re a dragon!”

Zuko glared. “Obviously.”

Sokka sputtered. “No, not  _ obviously _ . What  _ happened _ to you?”

Taking a step forward, his hands balled into fists, Zuko responded, “That’s none of your business!”

Sokka took a step forward too and jabbed Zuko in the chest. It took a bit of effort, as he was much taller than Sokka. “Hello? You locked me in this stupid castle forever, so I think it is my business!”

Just as Zuko was about to open his mouth again, Ty Lee stepped in. “Guys! Please, be civil for like one second so you can introduce yourselves.” 

Sokka grumbled to himself and then looked up. “I’m Sokka.”

Zuko responded to him, still fuming, “I’m Zuko. Don’t go in the West Wing, and don’t bother me.”

Sokka crossed his arms. “Why can’t I go in the West Wing? What if I want to?”

“You just can’t, ok? It’s- I  _ forbid _ you from going in the West Wing.” 

“What are you, my sister? You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

Zuko stomped. “God, you’re infuriating! I wish we’d kept your sister, at least  _ she  _ didn’t  _ talk  _ so much!”

Sokka stuck his tongue out.

“Oh wow, that’s really mature. You know-”

“Well, I think we’d better be going.” Ty Lee grabbed Sokka’s arm again. As she pulled him away, she shot Zuko a look. “We’ll talk later.” Zuko rolled his eyes as they walked out the door.

Sokka groaned.  _ I can already tell this is going to be torture. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i drew ty lee and mai, both normally and as spirits!!
> 
> https://gaybarbie.tumblr.com/post/630150092317442048/ty-lee-and-mai-as-spirits-for-we-must-believe-as
> 
> 💗💗


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y’all!! sorry this chapter took so long to get out, a lot has happened!! i got my driver’s license, so that’s exciting! hope you enjoy!! :D

Decorating the room to feel more like home had been hard, seeing as how Sokka only had what was in his bag. As he hung up the last of the decorations, a tiny portrait of him and Katara together, his heart ached with homesickness. 

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“It’s unlocked!” he called out. The door opened to reveal another spirit, a boy, short and bald with a sunny disposition. 

“Hi, I’m Aang! Nice to meet you.” He smiled brightly. 

“I’m Sokka.” As he got closer, he noticed the tattoos running along Aang’s arms and the arrow on his forehead. He paused for a second, then spoke. “Are those Air Nomad tattoos?”

Aang looked slightly surprised, then delightedly he said, “Yeah! How did you know?”

“Once a month, a traveling librarian would come to town and let us take books. One of them was about Air Nomads, and I remember seeing those tattoos in the book. But the Air Nomads have been gone for years.”

Aang nodded. “Almost gone. I’m the last one.”

Sokka stepped closer to examine the tattoos further. “This is amazing! The amount you must know, just- wow.”

Aang moved to sit cross-legged in the air. “I’m so glad you-” His eye caught on the portrait Sokka had just hung up, and he quickly flew towards it to get a better look. “You know the girl who was here before?”

“Uh, yeah? She’s my sister, what about it?”

“Your sister?” Aang twirled in the air, a sappy grin on his face. He leaned his chin in his hand. “She’s beautiful!”

“Gross!” Sokka exclaimed, a disgusted look on his face. As Aang continued to stare at it, Sokka reached out and waved him away. “Ok, back it up loverboy. You’re gonna get your crush all over the painting.” 

Aang smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,” then, “Can you tell me about her? She seemed really brave, considering how she came out here all by herself and stood up to Zuko.”

Sokka let out a laugh. “That’s one way to put it. I was going to say stubborn, but brave works too. She worries about me all the time, then goes and pulls something like running away to a castle in the middle of the night as if I won’t worry my ass off about her. She wants to learn how to waterbend, and I think she will. Once she wants to do something, there’s no stopping her.” As they talked, he grabbed his boomerang and began to fiddle with it.

Aang sighed. “She sounds incredible.”

“Oh yeah, and she’s really annoying, but that comes with being a little sister. Always nagging me, you know? It’s like, sorry I left paper in the fridge, but it’s not my fault I was inventing while getting a snack. Get over it!”

Aang laughed. “I can’t wait to meet her after the curse is broken, when we’re human again!”

Confused, Sokka asked, “Curse?”

Aang looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He laughed nervously. “Curse? What? Who said anything about a curse? Nobody here is cursed, and even if they were, it wouldn’t be my place to talk about it.” He glanced out the window. “Oh, look at the time. The sun’s almost down, I need to go. Bye!” 

“But the sun isn’t even-” Before he could finish, Aang had already flown away.

Sokka groaned, walking over to the bed and flopping onto his back. He stared at his boomerang, the feeling of homesickness returning.  _ Does anyone here give straight answers? _

The pillows were soft and the mattress was even softer, and as the exhaustion of the day set in, his eyelids started to droop.  _ Stupid beast. Stupid curse. Stupid…  _ Before he could finish the thought, he had drifted off to sleep. 

_______

“Hey sleepyhead!”

Sokka awoke to a ghostly face right in front of his own and bolted upright in alarm, throwing his boomerang. It flew through the air and lodged itself in the wall. As he grew more awake, he began to take in his surroundings. Ty Lee hung upside down from the bed frame, right in front of him.

Gracefully, she flipped through the air and landed on his bed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” She smiled good-naturedly. 

Sokka’s heart pounded and he put a hand on his chest to steady himself. “Spirits, give a guy some warning.” He turned his body so his feet were hanging off the bed. “What’s up?”

Ty Lee’s face lit up. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” She glanced over her shoulder and gestured to the empty air in a “come here” gesture. Suddenly, a gloomy-looking girl materialized next to her. Ty Lee smiled at her, then looked back at him. As she introduced the other girl, Ty Lee reached out to link their hands. “Sokka, this is my girlfriend, Mai. She’s a spirit too!”

“No, really? I thought she was just that pale,” he said sarcastically. He could have imagined it, but he thought he saw Mai’s mouth quirk up at the joke. He got up and began to walk over to his boomerang. “Nice to meet you and all that.” Sokka jumped up to try and grab his boomerang from where it was stuck in the wall, but it was a bit too high. He heard a snicker from behind him and glanced back to see Ty Lee laughing while Mai smirked. “Haha, I can’t reach it, very funny.” When they didn’t stop, he crossed his arms. “Fine, then  _ you  _ get it down.”

Ty Lee grinned. “Ok!” She artfully leapt from a chair to the dresser, balancing precariously atop the furniture before grabbing the boomerang and flipping off, landing in front of Sokka. “Here you go!”

Sokka sputtered. “Ok, wait. So you can walk through walls, but you can also hold things? How?”

Mai spoke up from behind them. “We can decide when we want to be solid, genius.” 

Sokka’s eyes lit up. “That’s incredible! It leads to so many questions. Can you do it in your sleep? Wait, do you even need sleep? Can you go through another ghost if they make themselves solid? What if-”

Mai butted in. “Yes, no, but we can if we want to, and yes. There is… one thing we haven’t tested. If you wanted to help us with it, that would be cool. Not that I care, of course.” She checked her nails, her eyes flicking up at Sokka. 

His jaw dropped. “You’re asking if I want to help a ghost-”

“Spirit!”

“Sorry, a  _ spirit _ experiment with something? Hell yes!”

_______

“So I had these on me when we were spirit-ified, and now they’re all transparent. We need to test it on you because Zuko said I can’t try it on him and everyone else is a spirit.” They walked through the courtyard, Mai holding a pair of ghostly throwing knives. 

“Cool.” His breath formed clouds as he let it out, and he felt grateful for the thick cloak he wore.

“So you stand over there, and we’ll see if they go through you when I throw them.” Mai gestured to a spot about 15 feet away, and Sokka quickly walked over. 

Holding his arms out, he gave a big thumbs up to Mai once in position. “Let ‘em rip!” Sokka screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself. 

“And… go!” Ty Lee exclaimed, and a second later, Sokka felt something cold go through his torso. He opened his eyes back up, patting his chest curiously.

“So?” Mai called out.

Looking back up, he grinned. “I’m fine! Just a bit chilly.” 

Mai smiled, then pulled out a pair of regular throwing knives from her sleeve. “Now to test it with non-spirit ones to see if it has the same effect.”

Excitedly, Sokka gave two thumbs up. “Ready!” 

Mai pulled her arm back, taking aim, when-

“Hey! Stop!”, a rough voice called out from a window overlooking the courtyard. Sokka looked up to see Zuko standing in the window. Before they could say anything, Zuko flew down, landing next to Mai. “Are you all out of your mind?” He pointed a clawed finger at Sokka. “That could have killed you!”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, relax. This cloak is so thick, it probably wouldn’t have gone through anyway.”

“It’s a throwing knife. It goes through fabric!” Zuko snapped, “We need you alive-”

“Why? No one will tell me why you want me alive or why I’m trapped here. Why not just kill me?”

Zuko’s face flushed as he sputtered, “It’s- I have to- Ugh!” He quickly turned back to Mai.

“Do you know how dangerous that was?”

Mai glared. “Oh, so only you’re allowed to put yourself in danger for an experiment, Mr. ‘Shoot lightning at me, Azula, I can redirect it!’.

He looked at her incredulously. “I nearly died after that!”

Ty Lee piped up from behind Mai, “But you didn’t. We healed you. Sokka would have been fine.”

Zuko balled his hands into fists. “There’s too much on the line to go taking risks like that. Do you want to break the curse or not?”

“Will someone tell me what the deal is with this stupid curse?” Sokka yelled exasperatedly.

“No!” Zuko yelled back. He shot a glare at Sokka before flying back up to the window he had come out of, stalking away angrily. 

Sokka huffed. “I’m going back to my room before Jerkface up there decides to yell at me again.” Briskly, he walked in the direction of his room.

Ty Lee walked to where Mai still stood, leaning a head on her shoulder. 

“We’re never going to human again,” Mai grumbled. Ty Lee just sighed. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!! comments and kudos make my entire week!! you can find me on tumblr @gaybarbie


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